The American Red Cross says the holidays often bring a noticeable increase in house fires. The Coastal Virginia Chapter has responded to 31 so far in the region alone in December, and the month is not over yet.
“Particularly when more people are spending time in the house that typically means more cooking, which is the number one cause of home fires, not only in Virginia, but across the country,” said Jonathan McNamara, communications director for the American Red Cross of Virginia.
”We also see people turning heaters on for the first time when the temperature drops, so that unfortunately leads to fires.”
He said volunteers are on call 24 hours of a day to respond to the scenes.
“We will receive that call either from a local fire department or from our Red Cross National Dispatch office and that kicks into gear a series of events: Red Cross volunteers are then dispatched to the scene to work with those fire officials and to meet with the families who have been impacted by the event,” McNamara said.
People not only have immediate needs like food and shelter after a fire, but also long-term needs like counseling, McNamara said.
“Our work does not just take a couple of hours, it takes days and weeks at a time because we know that the needs of families who are impacted by fires are gonna change over time, he said. “That's why we're there as a resource, not only in the hours immediately following a fire. but for days and weeks to come.
A fire safety plan is key this time of year, according to the Red Cross.
“Making sure you're having safe zones in your kitchen when you're cooking. making sure that you're properly using your heaters in your home. and you're keeping flammable items away from those heaters so that we can again, try to reduce the number of home fires that we see each and every year,” McNamara said.
Donations are not the only way you can help the American Red Cross continue its work. Around 90 percent of the response work is done by volunteers, and more are needed to help on scene in the aftermath of fires and other disasters.
